


Cat's Eye

by WWY



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Childhood Friends, Kenma has some PTSD from being an omega but who wouldnt, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 08:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15359898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WWY/pseuds/WWY
Summary: Kenma and Kuroo, two childhood friends, learn about their arranged marriage.





	Cat's Eye

They had been best friends for as long as Kenma could remember, and perhaps that bond where they were as close as brothers was the reason why they were both afraid of the word _marriage_. Their families had arranged the marriage without their knowledge when they were both still in diapers, Kenma, having been born an omega and Kuroo, an alpha—the union would be an illustrious one. Alphas were less than 5 percent of the population, and omegas even rarer than that at 0.1 percent.For a family to bring forth an omega was already a blessing in itself so Kenma had grown up in the center of attention—something he had always found tiring at best and full out terrifying at worst.

Their families never told them they were engaged. They wanted their relationship to develop organically, and it did, as they were inseparable for the longest time, but when Kenma was eighteen years old, the word “marriage” started to be thrown around—at first with a subtle carelessness such as when Kenma’s mother said, “I know I’m silly crying over a romcom movie, but it just makes me think that one day you’ll fly the nest too!” Not two weeks later, Kenma’s father asked him, “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” And Kenma, not one to think too far ahead into the future, puzzled over it for a few minutes before replying, “Asleep.” There were many more instances, such as when Kenma’s mother thought it might be fun to go wedding cake tasting or when his father thought it was about time his son learned how to tie a bowtie.

So when Kenma and Kuroo’s parents sat the two of them down one fine spring day, Kenma wasn’t at all surprised that the topic of marriage had come up again. Given his unique anatomy and the countless hours of research he had poured into what it meant to live as a male omega, he knew that his genes were sought after and that most omegas, male or not, were pushed to marry as soon as possible. He knew it was an omega’s duty to have children, yet he had never really given any serious consideration that Kuroo might be the one to help him do it. The thought seemed strange to him and when they his parents and Kuroo’s parents made the big reveal, Kenma had nothing to say. He mulled over it quietly as was his way. He wasn't averse because he liked Kuroo and they understood and trusted one another, but marriage was a different beast altogether, one which Kenma didn't know much about. Kuroo had the opposite reaction. He was outraged. He jumped to his feet and there was a lot of shouting involved. Kuroo called their parents outdated and old fashioned. He said things like, “Why didn't we get a say in this? Don't we deserve to decide for ourselves? How could you push this on us? Hey Kenma, say something!”

“I don't care either way.”

If there was a wrong way to react to the announcement then he had done it because Kuroo made an expression that Kenma had never seen before. He wasn't sure what the expression was, but the closest would probably be “anguish.”

Kuroo left, slamming the door behind him. Everyone looked apologetic. “He just needs time to digest. Let's give him some space.” The families agreed that the topic was a delicate one but Kuroo would come around. Kenma wasn't too sure.

 

Kuroo liked using his hands. His family was wealthy and had an estate large enough for a tool shed and a workshop, and when Kuroo was upset he liked to keep busy. Kenma found him exactly where he thought he'd be, in the workshop hunched over a desk doing intricate wire work with a pair of tweezers under a standing magnifying glass. He was working on a pendant.

“Kuroo.” Kenma’s voice was too soft to hear, especially when Kuroo had his earbuds in, but he looked up nonetheless because no matter how quietly Kenma called, somehow Kuroo always heard him.

“What do you want?” he asked with an irritated scowl.

“Are you mad at me?”

Kuroo’s scowl deepened. “No. I’m not mad at you. I'm mad about this whole situation. It feels like we've been tricked and—” He stopped. “Why aren't _you_ mad?”

“I'm an omega. Arranged marriages are pretty common for us.”

“Then did you know it was with…” Kenma wondered why Kuroo couldn't say it. _With me._

“I didn’t.”

Kuroo looked relieved. They were on the same page. “They can't just decide our futures just like that! I won't let them do this to you Kenma. I know how much hate being an omega. And I know you also have a habit of just going along with what ever other people say because it’s too troublesome for you to refuse!” Kuroo put the pendant down, but Kenma picked it up.

“Are these the pearls you got in Hong Kong?” Kenma asked.

“Kenma…” He took the pendant back and put it away so it wouldn’t distract them. Kenma fidgeted with the sleeve of his sweater.

“What do you think Kuroo? What do you want to do?”

“I want you to be free from all this alpha omega political bullshit.”

“So I shouldn't get married? Or have kids?” Kenma was trying to understand the point behind the point Kuroo was making. What did it mean to be free from the biology one was born with? How does one get away from it?

“Do you want to get married and have kids?” Kuroo asked, incredulous.

Kenma was only eighteen and the thing he wanted to do most in the world was hole himself up in his room and play video games. He didn't care about interacting with other people. He didn't like the idea of integrating his life with another person’s. He always did prefer soloing to co-op. And he especially didn't want a kid to take up all his time and energy when he felt he had so little of either. So all in all, no he did not want marriage and everything it entailed at this point in his life, but if he had to do it, then why not with Kuroo?

“…No.”

Kuroo exhaled as if he had been holding in a long breath.

“See? Don't worry Kenma. I'll talk sense into them. I'll fix this.”

Kenma said nothing. He didn't like arguing with Kuroo because once he made up his mind about something he couldn't be dissuaded. Still, Kenma felt Kuroo’s response was a little weird. He was always getting angry on Kenma’s behalf and almost always for good reason so perhaps Kuroo was right this time too that a great injustice had befallen them.

“Kenma.” Kuroo placed his hands on Kenma’s shoulders to get his attention. “You don't have to be so understanding all the time. Just because you're an omega doesn't mean you shouldn’t be able to live the life you want. To hell with societal expectations!”

Kenma looked up and while Kuroo was always very heroic in his actions he had a somewhat villainous face. Either way Kuroo could always be depended on and Kenma felt perhaps he was being unfair to Kuroo by being so passive. Kuroo, who had saved him countless times, shouldn't be forced into doing it for the rest of his life. He shouldn't have to worry so much or get angry or upset on another's behalf. How tiring it must be for him to carry such a burden day in and day out.

“You too Kuroo. You should be able to live the life you want too. I don't think it's fair either. Thanks Kuroo, for always standing up for me, so I’ll stand up for you too. I guess… I’m…” What was it? Sad? Disappointed?

Kuroo mussed up his hair, patting him as if he would a small animal. When Kenma looked up, Kuroo was smiling warmly. Kenma’s heart swelled. He was very grateful and truthfully he was a bit sad _and_ disappointed because not marrying Kuroo meant that from now on, it would no longer be just the two of them. Though perhaps that wasn't accurate. Kenma had no one other than Kuroo but Kuroo had many other friends and even lovers, but just because Kenma would feel lonely without him didn't give him a right to force Kuroo to stay behind for his sake.

Later that evening Kenma told his parents that they should pick another alpha for him. They were surprised. They thought the pair were perfect for one another and Kenma, especially, would be happy. “You didn't consider how Kuroo would feel,” he explained.

Hesitant but finding no harm in seeking alternatives, his mother said, “I still think the two of you are the most suited but if you really want to find someone else, we can set up some meetings. Let me ask you again, are you sure Kenma?”

“I’m sure,” he said.

 

The topic didn’t come up again for another few days, and by then, Kenma was fully immersed in a new game—a newly released MMORPG with great promise. He was in the middle of running a dungeon with his party when Kuroo burst into his room. The suddenness startled him, but Kenma was a devoted gamer so he hardly flinched, but he did squint a bit when Kuroo turned on the lights.

“Kenma! What the hell are you doing?” Kuroo demanded.

“What time is it?” Because when Kuroo barged into his room and got mad at him, it usually meant he had been gaming for so long he had forgotten to do something important.

“It’s six, but that’s not what I’m here about!”

“Six… in the morning?” Kenma asked, unsure. He had black out curtains so it was always a bit difficult to tell the time of day when he went on his gaming binges—even more so now that he was no longer required to study.

“Evening!” Kuroo exclaimed, horrified.

“Oh. What’s wrong Kuroo?”

“My parents said you wanted to call off the engagement!”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” His party was nearing the mini-boss room. Luckily this meant that someone had made a campfire and he had some time to think about what Kuroo could be angry about while they all sat and healed their health and mana.

“That’s not—they said you were looking at other marriage candidates! Hey stop looking at the screen and look at me!” Kuroo grabbed his computer chair and swiveled it so they were facing one another, but Kenma was still looking at his screen out of the corner of his eyes. His guild mates were talking about something in the chatbox. “Kenma!” Kuroo nearly shouted.

Kenma withdrew as far back as he could in his chair, surprised. “S-Stop yelling…” Kenma said with a frown. He didn’t like it when people yelled at him.

“Sorry. I’m sorry for raising my voice, but I want your attention right now. Stop looking at the game.”

“Kuroo it’s starting, can you give me ten minutes?” Kenma tried to push him away and turn back to his computer, which was showing the loading screen meaning they were about to enter the mini-boss room, but Kuroo caught his wrist. He weakly tried to pull away but Kuroo didn't let go.

“Forget the game! Dammit Kenma!”

“Stop it!” Kenma squirmed away. He let out a yelp when he nearly fell out of his chair but Kuroo quickly steadied him. Kuroo had a scary expression on his face.

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

Kuroo released him and sat down on the bed. Kenma returned to his game. He was the only one left at the entrance while his party mates were already hard at work. He typed out a quick apology and jumped into battle.

Kenma could feel Kuroo’s bad mood. He was unusually silent and still. Usually when he waited for Kenma to finish with a game he was on his phone or fidgeting with some craft project he had brought along, but the whole time Kenma could feel Kuroo’s eyes on his back. He did manage to forget for a few minutes at the final boss fight, but after dividing up the loot Kuroo was behind him again. Kenma knew better than to test his luck and quickly logged off.

“Okay. I'm done.”

Kuroo’s expression was still very scary. Kuroo pulled the armrests of his chair and wheeled him to the bed so they could sit facing one another. Kuroo did not remove his hands from the chair and Kenma was starting to feel squirmy again.

“Kenma, talk to me.”

“I thought that's what you wanted…”

“What are you talking about?” Kuroo was struggling to keep his voice from rising.

“You didn’t want to be forced into anything… you said you didn’t want that sort of thing decided for you.”

“Fine. I get that. I did say that, but what the hell made you think I’d be okay with you going from one arranged marriage to another?”

“Then… do you want me to be alone?” Kenma asked.

Kuroo’s eyes widened. He moved back in the bed until he was touching the wall as if he might do something he’d regret if he didn’t put some space between them. Kenma had rarely ever seen Kuroo’s face so stormy. “I really can’t tell what the hell is going through that head of yours sometimes.” Kuroo let out a sharp exhale.“That’s not what I want and you know it. I want you to fall in love first, then get married, and then live happily ever after. That’s what I want.”

“That could still happen even if someone else is arranging it.”

“Kenma! You can’t be serious!”

“It’s different for you Kuroo.” Kenma drew his knees to his chest and began picking at a stray thread on his sleeve. “You’re good with people. You’re charming. You always know what to say and what to do, but I’m not like that. You’re an alpha too. Alphas can bond with anyone they want, but it’s not like that for me. It couldn’t be any more different. You don’t know what it’s like… being born like this. It’s scary Kuroo! I don’t even remember the last time I went anywhere alone, even if it’s just to walk around the corner. People don’t look at you weird. Strangers don’t try to touch you without permission or come up and sniff you. They don’t ask you inappropriate questions about your body. They—”

“Alright, that’s enough. I get it Kenma.” Kuroo’s voice was much gentler now. “But I still think this arranged marriage thing is nuts.”

“You… seem to think I go outside and meet new people all the time. Falling in love first—like normal people… for me that’s not likely to happen. Besides, with these arranged meetings I can look at their fact sheet beforehand.”

“Spoken like a true video game otaku,” Kuroo said with a scoff. “Maybe we should do it then.”

“Do what?”

“Get married.”

Kenma was so startled he froze. He glanced uneasily at Kuroo, and was startled again by the seriousness of his expression. It was as if he had resigned himself some honorable duty.

“No,” Kenma said, though he couldn’t look Kuroo in the eye when he said it.

“Why? You were fine with it a few days ago weren’t you?” Kuroo exclaimed.

“Because.”

“Because _why_? Kenma tell me _why_ ,” Kuroo’s tone was firm, like an adult scolding a child.

“Kuroo, I want you to leave,” Kenma said.

“What? No! I’m not going anywhere until you explain yourself!” Kuroo was shouting again.

Kenma went quiet. He hugged his legs in closer to his chest. No matter what Kuroo said or did, Kenma refused to look at him or say another word.

“You’re seriously going to give me the silent treatment right now?” Kuroo asked. “Kenma!”

Kenma covered his ears and shut his eyes. He didn’t like it when people yelled at him, even if it was Kuroo and even if Kenma did deserve it. Suddenly he heard Kuroo cursing under his breath. “Kenma I’m sorry. Shit. I’m sorry for yelling. This—I... Kenma I’ll leave alright? Kenma, won’t you look at me? …Kenma? I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’ll go cool my head. Will you call me later?”

Kenma wouldn’t open his eyes or uncover his ears until he heard Kuroo close the door. When he did finally leave, Kenma immediately got up and locked it. He knew Kuroo was still outside. He could see his shadow from underneath the door when Kenma turned off the lights.

 

Kenma had written and rewritten by hand the words that he wanted to say to Kuroo for the past two hours, but it just wasn’t right. He didn’t mean to clam up all of a sudden, and Kuroo did deserve an explanation, but at the time, speaking seemed a near impossible feat. If he married Kuroo it would feel like he had forced Kuroo into a life he wouldn’t have chosen himself. If Kuroo just wanted Kenma to be happy, then the reverse was true too. Kenma just wanted Kuroo to be happy, and in Kuroo’s world, falling in love first, then getting married and living happily ever after was the correct order of things. He didn’t want Kuroo to be with him out of obligation. He’d sooner die first.

With the finished draft on a piece of notepaper in front of him, he called Kuroo later that night even though he didn’t want to, and Kuroo kept apologizing as soon as he picked up. Kenma found himself scribbling _sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry_ over and over again in the header of the paper until it ran over and curved down the page.

“Kuroo?”

“What is it Kenma?”

“My parents found someone. I’m meeting him tomorrow for lunch.” Silence. Kenma continued writing _sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry_ until it reached the bottom of the page. “Kuroo? Are you still here?”

Silence.

“Kuroo…?”

It took a full ten seconds (Kenma counted), until Kuroo finally said something. “I’m here.” He sounded tired.

“Are you angry?”

Kenma heard a long drawn out sigh. “I’m angry, but not at you.”

“Then who are you angry at?”

“You know what? I don’t know.” Kuroo laughed, and the bitter sadness of its sound made Kenma’s heart clench.

“Kuroo?”

“What is it Kenma?”

“I just want you to be happy too.”

More silence. Kenma didn’t like talking to Kuroo over the phone. It felt as though he could disappear off the face of the earth at any moment. It reminded Kenma of all the people he had met through his online gaming communities. One day they would be playing together, and then the next, they’d be gone without any warning. He remembered days of wondering and waiting for the notification that they’d log in, but sometimes it never came.

“Can I tell you the truth?” Kuroo said.

“What is it?”

“I’m not happy Kenma.”

Kenma’s heart dropped. He felt shaky and cold all over. His head was stuffy as if he had caught a cold. Kuroo was unhappy? Was it because of him? He was too dumbstruck to think of what to say back. He must’ve been silent for too long, because Kuroo let out another sigh.

“Sorry Kenma. I didn’t mean to drop a bomb like that. I’m pretty tired right now. I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe. Goodnight.”

“G-Goodnight Kuroo,” Kenma barely managed to utter out, and within half a breath, the call ended.

Kenma put his phone down. His head hurt. He felt sick. He needed to sleep. He needed to eat. When was the last time he ate? He couldn’t remember. Was it this morning? No—his mom had made him some toast in the morning but he hadn’t had much of an appetite. Was it yesterday? He really couldn’t remember. Kenma left his desk and climbed onto his bed. Sleep. He should sleep for now.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had a lot of reservations about using ABO dynamics, but ended up deciding that it would be an intriguing concept to explore and flesh out. There is still a lot about it that makes me uncomfortable (a whole group of people reduced to their reproductive ability and relegated to a lower caste because of it), and I wanted to show some of its unfortunate realities through Kenma's POV. Eventually you will also see me get into the actual biology behind the male omega reproductive system.
> 
> My first inclination was to do an ABO Kagehina story (which I have planned as a sequel), but I ended up choosing Kuroken instead. They were more like a vehicle to convey my thoughts about ABO instead of being a pair that I was particularly invested in. In my eyes, they are closer to a stereotypical alpha/omega relationship than Kagehina. But to me they seemed like a pretty clear cut childhood friends trope where they care for one another in a pure and brotherly way, but then I thought "what if it isn't pure?" And thus, this fic was born. I never really intended to start writing fanfic again, but upon reading through many of the ones available, I thought to myself, "Why is everything so happy all the time?" AO3 is wholesome coffeehouse fluff or drug-addicted daddy kink stripper fics. Haha. Anyway, enjoy!


End file.
